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Poster: bkidwell Date: Mar 18, 2013 12:18am
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Thank you my old friends, may I ask a Deadhead favor?

Absolutely and of course, thank you. I am not sure if writing myself to a very busy person like Mr. Barlow would actually be the best way to reach out, perhaps it's just that I feel scared of being the unwelcome guest knocking on the door. People in the Plan 9 software community are treating me as a horribly disruptive crazy person, even though this all started with me releasing free open source software - but then I stumbled into a patent that I felt was a lot like my own work that I do NOT try to patent, but release freely, and I got really mad. I'm so upset and exhausted that I am having a hard time being rational, and a lot of my posts to 9fans are definitely not "well-considered". In other words, I'm kind of losing it and not in a very good position to help myself I feel. I'm trying to get some "external eyeballs" on these patent issues and get some sympathetic individuals interested. The whole story is very very long and told in all the messages I have written on the list, and to me it all makes sense and means something, but I'm not sure I can explain it to John Perry Barlow myself in a way that makes everything clear. That is sort of why I am asking for help from the fabled Deadhead Network, because I am somewhat in a state of emotional and physical collapse. The "vw van broken down by the side of the road" is the current state of my mind, more or less. (Don't worry, I love life and am doing my best, but I'm definitely way too stressed to be at my most rational.) Thanks again! And I'm sorry for the absence of GD content! Ben Kidwell
This post was modified by bkidwell on 2013-03-18 07:18:38

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Poster: unclejohn52 Date: Mar 18, 2013 5:57am
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Thank you my old friends, may I ask a Deadhead favor?

I would just like to offer some reassurance... First off, we've missed your enlightened posts in these parts, so, it's good to hear from you!

I tried to read thru some of the posts on 9fans, and have to confess to very limited understanding of the issues involved. (Thank god this IA message board is easier on the eyes, and easier to use.) Your passion comes through loud and clear. You ain't crazy... I would suggest a short stop by the wayside - to smell the roses, so to speak... and let the world go by for a while, ponder what's truly crucial for you and your software. Your van will get repaired soon enough.

There's wisdom in the music.

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Poster: bkidwell Date: Mar 19, 2013 12:32am
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Thank you my old friends, may I ask a Deadhead favor?

The kind and wise words of my Deadhead friends have helped me so much. The human element of friendship, even when transmitted through a message board like this, heals the soul. I am feeling much better now and working to do things in a positive and productive way.

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Poster: Jack o' Roses Date: Mar 18, 2013 6:16am
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Thank you my old friends, may I ask a Deadhead favor?

IMvH & limited experience,
Barlow is very approachable & passionate about freedoms, especially in the electronic world. If he can't help you directly, he can likely direct you to some others who can._if barlow@eff.org still works....

Alternately, try https://www.eff.org/issues/coders or other EFF pages brother.

Good Luck & God Bless,

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Poster: bkidwell Date: Mar 19, 2013 12:24am
Forum: GratefulDead Subject: Re: Thank you my old friends, may I ask a Deadhead favor?

Thank you very much. Your post finally gave me the courage to write and send an email. I had a friend who is a writer help me put it together so I hope it can make it past the "flake filter" that I'm sure has to be applied to a busy inbox.

I'm going to try to make some music-related posts here soon.

Peace and love!